Andros Townsend joined Newcastle from Tottenham in the January window

Newcastle offer £55,000-a-week star massive pay rise amid interest from rival clubs – report

Tue 7 June 2016 10:56, UK

By Alex Stevens

Newcastle have offered Andros Townsend a £20,000-a-week pay rise to keep him at the club next season, according to a report.

Townsend only moved to Newcastle in January, but his contract included a clause that allows him to leave St James’ Park following the club’s relegation.

The Daily Telegraph claim Crystal Palace are in talks to sign Townsend and are prepared to meet the £10.5million buy-out fee in the winger’s contract.

It is said West Ham and Southampton are also interested in handing the 24-year-old an instant return to the Premier League.

Townsend is currently on holiday after last week being cut from the England squad that travelled to France for Euro 2016 on Monday.

The Telegraph report Newcastle have indicated they may be prepared to offer the player a £20,000-a-week rise to his £55,000-a-week wages to stay with the club in the Championship.

Palace are willing to give him an £80,000-a-week contract to move back to London just months after his £12million transfer from Tottenham.

Following early teething troubles in the north-east, Townsend emerged as a key figure in Newcastle’s survival bid under Rafael Benitez and his record of four goals in 13 Premier League games for the club was enough to earn him a place in England’s provisional 26-man squad for Euro 2016.

But manager Roy Hodgson decided against taking Townsend to France, despite an impressive substitutes’ appearance against Australia at the Stadium of Light.

In other Newcastle news, another one of the Magpies players has hinted he has decided to stay at St James’ Park this summer.